AN attack on a convoy of five busses carrying employees to the Bongou mine in Burkina Faso has left 37 dead and 60 injured.
Workers of African Mine Services, a subsidiary of Australian company Perenti (ASX: PRN), and Canadian mine owner, Semafo, were among the dead.
Sefamo said the convoy was escorted by military police and was about 40km from the mine when it was ambushed by gunmen.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks at this stage, however suspicion has fallen on Islamic militants.
The country has been plagued for the past five years by Jihadi violence that has spilled over from Mali.
The attack is the deadliest in the five years of violence and the death toll, which did not include security personnel, is expected to rise.
In a statement, Perenti said that emergency procedures were activated and the immediate location around the incident was secured.
“It is with deep sadness that that Perenti advises that the information we have to date is that there have been a number of fatalities and injuries,” the company said.
“We are currently working with local authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of our workforce.
“This is our highest priority.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this attach, and with their families.”
This attack is the third attack on Sefamo in Burkina Faso within 15 months.
Burkina Faso is one of the world’s poorest nations and political instability, badly equipped, underfunded and undertrained security forces have been ineffective in stemming the violence which has been steadily on the rise, becoming nearly a daily occurrence in 2019.
The previous deadliest attack in Burkina Faso was in 2016, when jihadis raided the Splendid Hotel in Ouagadougou and killed 30 people.
“We are considering the implications of the incident and the security situation in Burkina Faso more generally, and will be engaging with Sefamo through this process,” Perenti said.
